02-15-2019, 10:32 PM
Objective: To move the contents of phpBB 3.2 from one server to another. The server of origin went up in smoke yesterday. I needed to move the backups to a new server.
SIMPLEST WAY OF MOVING A PHPBB FORUM FROM ONE SERVER TO ANOTHER
1. Change DNS: Change name servers of domain at domain registrar and wait for DNS to fully propagate. Mine propagated fast.
2. Add on domain in cPanel of new server: That went quick and easy as well.
3. Create new database at destination server: I had saved the config.php content info of the old server, and was able to recreate the new database with identical info.
4. Organize backup files of old server: I unzipped my backup.tar.gz - selected all of the folders and files at the root of the domain in the home directory. And then zipped them into a zipped folder - domaincontent.zip. I also isolated the database.sql backup file but also had a good backup available which I'd made in the phpBB Admin Panel.
5. Import database.sql backup: you can do this with phpmyadmin. You do this by selecting the new database you created, and then clicking on the import tool in the index of links at the top of phpmyadmin.
6. Upload zipped backup folder - domaincontent.zip: Use cpanel File Manager or FTP to upload domaincontent.zip folder to the root of the domain. I then unzipped the contents of the zipped folder.
7. Finally I typed the domain URL into the index line of my browser (prayed as well), and my Forum appeared as though nothing had changed before. Except of course I lost a few posts from 10 January to date. It's a very low-profile quiet Forum, so really no harm done.
LESSONS LEARNED FOR PHPBB BACKUPS
There are three very important backups needed:
1. Make a copy of all of the folders and files at the root of the domain. Copy them with an FTP tool, zip them and keep them in a safe place.
2. Second even more important backup is the database. You can export it with phpmyadmin. Or you can use the phpBB Admin Panel to create the sql file.
3. Copy the content of your config.php file at the root of the domain and keep it in a safe place.
THESE ARE ALL OF MY ERRORS BEFORE I FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT
I'd had a VERY MISTAKEN expectation that all I needed to do is create a new installation of phpBB, import the old.sql database with phpmyadmin, upload the two backup folders to the root of the domain, and phpBB ACP would take care of the rest when I clicked on restore backup. That completely sidetracted me.
My last backups were on 10th of January. Fortunately not too long ago. I had made detailed backups in my phpBB Admin Panel. I thought I'd made two backups: one of the complete Forum and the other of my database. But took some painful lessons today to realize both were actually backups of the database. Fortunately I also made a complete backup of my cpanel hosting account that had all of the Forum files on it together with a backup of the database as well. In the end I learned that the cpanelbackup.tar.gz was much more valuable than the backups I had made in the phpBB ACP.
To make things even more challenging with the above plan was the phpBB version on the server of origin was out of date. It was 3.2.2, and the current version 2.3.5. All of my backups were technically out of date if I were to use an up to date download.
So I first used the cpanel softaculous in the destination (new) server to create a new instance of phpBB forum. I then used the database that the new installation created, to import the backup.sql file. My first attempt was to use the zipped file, but the version of zip phpbb uses, wasn't compatible and phpmyadmin identified serious errors. I then deleted the installation, created a new installation and this time I unzipped the backup.sql file first, then uploaded it with the File Manager, and phpmyadmin was happy with that.
BUT - nothing showed up when I tried the domain URL in my browser. It just came up with a new installation of phpBB with no content in it. After reading plenty of how-to discussions in phpBB.com, I then learned I had to find a way to get the installation folder back into the new installation so I could update the database - softaculous must have deleted the phpBB installation folder at the end of the installation of the new phpBB. I tried to add the installation file from an up to date download on my computer, but everything failed after that point - totally frustrating to figure out how to update only the database. I then deleted this installation as well and then finally after a cup of tea did what I should have done right the first time round. I ignored the backups I'd taken with the phpBB ACP and only worked with the backup I created of my cpanel account. I created a new database only, but not a new installation. For those without cpanel, best backup is to make a copy of all of the files and folders at the root of the domain. Second best backup is to make a database backup from phpBB ACP. And third thing to do is to keep a copy of the config contents in a safe place for backup.
SIMPLEST WAY OF MOVING A PHPBB FORUM FROM ONE SERVER TO ANOTHER
1. Change DNS: Change name servers of domain at domain registrar and wait for DNS to fully propagate. Mine propagated fast.
2. Add on domain in cPanel of new server: That went quick and easy as well.
3. Create new database at destination server: I had saved the config.php content info of the old server, and was able to recreate the new database with identical info.
4. Organize backup files of old server: I unzipped my backup.tar.gz - selected all of the folders and files at the root of the domain in the home directory. And then zipped them into a zipped folder - domaincontent.zip. I also isolated the database.sql backup file but also had a good backup available which I'd made in the phpBB Admin Panel.
5. Import database.sql backup: you can do this with phpmyadmin. You do this by selecting the new database you created, and then clicking on the import tool in the index of links at the top of phpmyadmin.
6. Upload zipped backup folder - domaincontent.zip: Use cpanel File Manager or FTP to upload domaincontent.zip folder to the root of the domain. I then unzipped the contents of the zipped folder.
7. Finally I typed the domain URL into the index line of my browser (prayed as well), and my Forum appeared as though nothing had changed before. Except of course I lost a few posts from 10 January to date. It's a very low-profile quiet Forum, so really no harm done.
LESSONS LEARNED FOR PHPBB BACKUPS
There are three very important backups needed:
1. Make a copy of all of the folders and files at the root of the domain. Copy them with an FTP tool, zip them and keep them in a safe place.
2. Second even more important backup is the database. You can export it with phpmyadmin. Or you can use the phpBB Admin Panel to create the sql file.
3. Copy the content of your config.php file at the root of the domain and keep it in a safe place.
THESE ARE ALL OF MY ERRORS BEFORE I FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT
I'd had a VERY MISTAKEN expectation that all I needed to do is create a new installation of phpBB, import the old.sql database with phpmyadmin, upload the two backup folders to the root of the domain, and phpBB ACP would take care of the rest when I clicked on restore backup. That completely sidetracted me.
My last backups were on 10th of January. Fortunately not too long ago. I had made detailed backups in my phpBB Admin Panel. I thought I'd made two backups: one of the complete Forum and the other of my database. But took some painful lessons today to realize both were actually backups of the database. Fortunately I also made a complete backup of my cpanel hosting account that had all of the Forum files on it together with a backup of the database as well. In the end I learned that the cpanelbackup.tar.gz was much more valuable than the backups I had made in the phpBB ACP.
To make things even more challenging with the above plan was the phpBB version on the server of origin was out of date. It was 3.2.2, and the current version 2.3.5. All of my backups were technically out of date if I were to use an up to date download.
So I first used the cpanel softaculous in the destination (new) server to create a new instance of phpBB forum. I then used the database that the new installation created, to import the backup.sql file. My first attempt was to use the zipped file, but the version of zip phpbb uses, wasn't compatible and phpmyadmin identified serious errors. I then deleted the installation, created a new installation and this time I unzipped the backup.sql file first, then uploaded it with the File Manager, and phpmyadmin was happy with that.
BUT - nothing showed up when I tried the domain URL in my browser. It just came up with a new installation of phpBB with no content in it. After reading plenty of how-to discussions in phpBB.com, I then learned I had to find a way to get the installation folder back into the new installation so I could update the database - softaculous must have deleted the phpBB installation folder at the end of the installation of the new phpBB. I tried to add the installation file from an up to date download on my computer, but everything failed after that point - totally frustrating to figure out how to update only the database. I then deleted this installation as well and then finally after a cup of tea did what I should have done right the first time round. I ignored the backups I'd taken with the phpBB ACP and only worked with the backup I created of my cpanel account. I created a new database only, but not a new installation. For those without cpanel, best backup is to make a copy of all of the files and folders at the root of the domain. Second best backup is to make a database backup from phpBB ACP. And third thing to do is to keep a copy of the config contents in a safe place for backup.
